Looking at Vital Energy, Inc.'s (NYSE:VTLE ) insider transactions over the last year, we can see that insiders were net sellers. That is, there were more number of shares sold by insiders than there were purchased.

Although we don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions, we do think it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing.

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Vital Energy

In the last twelve months, the biggest single sale by an insider was when the Executive VP, Mark Denny, sold US$301k worth of shares at a price of US$54.75 per share. We generally don't like to see insider selling, but the lower the sale price, the more it concerns us. The silver lining is that this sell-down took place above the latest price (US$36.27). So it is hard to draw any strong conclusion from it. The only individual insider seller over the last year was Mark Denny.

Happily, we note that in the last year insiders paid US$140k for 3.50k shares. But they sold 5.50k shares for US$301k. The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!

If you like to buy stocks that insiders are buying, rather than selling, then you might just love this free list of companies. (Hint: Most of them are flying under the radar).

Vital Energy Insiders Bought Stock Recently

Over the last quarter, Vital Energy insiders have spent a meaningful amount on shares. Specifically, President Mikell Pigott bought US$95k worth of shares in that time, and we didn't record any sales whatsoever. This makes one think the business has some good points.

Insider Ownership Of Vital Energy

Another way to test the alignment between the leaders of a company and other shareholders is to look at how many shares they own. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. Vital Energy insiders own about US$303m worth of shares (which is 23% of the company). This kind of significant ownership by insiders does generally increase the chance that the company is run in the interest of all shareholders.

So What Does This Data Suggest About Vital Energy Insiders?

It's certainly positive to see the recent insider purchase. However, the longer term transactions are not so encouraging. The high levels of insider ownership, and the recent buying by an insider suggests they are well aligned and optimistic. So while it's helpful to know what insiders are doing in terms of buying or selling, it's also helpful to know the risks that a particular company is facing. To help with this, we've discovered 4 warning signs (1 makes us a bit uncomfortable!) that you ought to be aware of before buying any shares in Vital Energy.

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies.

For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions of direct interests only, but not derivative transactions or indirect interests.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.